Blog

Tag: botox hertfordshire

Dr Harry Singh explains how we can relax this muscle with botulinum toxin to turn your smile from ‘upside down’ to ‘happy clown’!

Do people often ask you if ‘everything is alright?’, or tell you to ‘cheer up’? If so, then this could be a sign that you have a reverse or ‘upside down’ smile, such that the corners of your mouth, even when you are not moving your mouth or lips, have a tendency to point downwards, creating an uphappy look.

The cause of this downwards ‘tugging’ is an overactivity in one of the many muscles that we use to move our mouth so we can speak, eat and make facial expressions.

The muscle in question is called the Depressor Anguli Oris or DAO for short. The clue in its name is the word ‘depressor’, as this is the muscle that is responsible for lowering the corners of the lips and mouth, often used when we wish to express displeasure or repulsion. We have a DAO muscle on each side of the mouth. It is triangular-shaped with an anchor at the corner of the mouth and a flat side along the chin. If this muscle is too active, then it can start to tug down on the corner of the mouth even when we aren’t calling on its services to make faces. This repeated action can lead to the formation of marionette lines, as the overlying skin is constantly being pulled down by the overactive muscle. As we age, these lines will become more and more pronounced.

In another recent blog, I looked at treating deep marionette lines with dermal fillers. Marionette lines are the lines, folds or wrinkles which start from the corners of the mouth and head in a downwards direction, eventually reaching the chin. They get their name from the mouth shape of marionettes or ventrilloquist’s dummies.

If you try to do a sad face, you will be able to see and feel the constriction of the DAO muscle at the jawline and can see how strong it is at tugging down the corners of your mouth.

As well as treating deeper lines and wrinkles in this area with dermal fillers, such as the Restylane range which I use in my clinic in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, the DAO can also be relaxed with the use of botulinum toxin injections. This is a prescription only medicine and isn’t right for everyone, but after a face-to-face consultation with me, I will be able to diagnose if you have an overactive DAO and if injections with botulinum toxin, on its own, or with dermal fillers would be the most appropriate treatment for you. In my clinic, I like to use the Azzalure™ brand of botulinum toxin, other products include Botox®.

Treating the DAO and marionette lines in this way, in fact any injections of botulinum toxin in the lower face, i.e. below the usual areas of crow’s feet and frown lines, is very much an advanced technique and must be performed by someone with significant training and experience. I have been prescribing and performing wrinkle-relaxing treatments of this kind for over fifteen years. In the wrong hands, complications could arise through incorrect placement of the treatment in the muscles which could have an effect on the positioning of the mouth, lips and teeth, and even effect your ability to bite, chew, suck or talk. That’s why it’s important to see someone like me, with years of experience; plus as a dentist, I am very familiar with the anatomy of the mouth.

If you are fed up of everyone asking you to ‘smile’ or thinking that you’re miserable, then please call 01438 300111 to book an appointment to see me, Dr Harry Singh at Aesthetics in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

Dr Harry Singh explains how Azzalure™, botulinum toxin injections, can be used to relax the muscle in the chin which leads to dimple and wrinkle formation.

The chin is an important area of the face. As well as adding balance to the overall facial profile, achieving markers of beauty and masculinity, it is also involved in the movement and facial expressions made with the mouth area. The chin itself is controlled by one big muscle called mentalis.

If you try to tighten the area by clenching your chin muscles and pushing out your bottom lip, you will be able to feel the effects of mentalis as the area becomes more solid to the touch and has both a dimpled appearance and feel, much like the outside of a ‘golf ball’.

In some people the mentalis muscle can become hyperactive, or overused, and this can lead to the dimples or wrinkles generated from its dymanic action being visible all the time, even at rest, when they are not tightening the chin. Having visible depressions, roughened skin or deep creases in the chin can make a person look sad, doubtful, disdainful or maybe even angry, when they’re not, as these are all emotions where we use the chin to display such feelings. All of this can lead to self-consciousness.

One very unpleasant description for this appearance, which can affect both men and women is ‘scrotal chin’, not very appealing I’m sure you will agree! Thankfully, as with treating other hyperactive facial muscles, such as those involved in teeth grinding or squinting, which can cause crow’s feet, modern cosmetic medicine has a solution – botulinum toxin injections.

I have been practicing facial aesthetics since 2002 and at my clinic in Stevenage, Hertfordshire I prescribe and use the botulinum toxin brand called Azzalure™. Like other brands of botulinum toxin, including Botox®, Azzalure is a prescription only medicine which requires a face-to-face consultation to correctly diagnose and prescribe treatment.

Botulinum toxin injections are most commonly used and licenced as an anti-wrinkle treatment for reducing crow’s feet, frown lines and forehead lines, but the medicine also has many other cosmetic and medical applications to treat over-active or spasming muscles. This means that we can also use it to treat the muscle in the chin to weaken it slightly and reduce the appearance of dimples and wrinkles.

Treating the chin is an advanced technique and should not be done by inexperienced or under qualified practitioners. It is important that you seek out someone with adequate prescribing qualifications, training, experience and understanding of the underlying anatomy and botulinum toxin doses required. Incorrect treatment of this area could lead to over-weakening of the muscles, impacting on jaw movement, and in the worst case, inadvertently affecting your ability to chew properly, or even open and close your mouth.

As a dentist and facial aesthetic practitioner, you can be assured that I am fully qualified to diagnose and prescribe treatment for the chin and mentalis muscle and have a detailed knowledge when it comes to the anatomical structures involved in the mouth and jaw. This means that during a consultation I can advise you whether Azzalure is the right treatment for you based on the concerns that you have and your medical history. Combining other facial aesthetic treatments, such as dermal fillers, may also be an option, depending on the depth of creases around your chin and mouth.

Any treatment with botulinum toxin is not permanent, usually lasting 4 to 6 months before a repeat dose is required to maintain the correction.

If you think you have too many wrinkles or dimples on your chin, then make an appointment for a consultation with me, Dr Harry Singh at Aesthetics in Stevenage, Hertfordshire and we can discuss if botulinum toxin injections are the right thing for you. Please call us on 01438 300111.

Dr Harry Singh explains how botulinum toxin injections, using Azzalure™ can be used to lift and rejuvenate the neck, giving you a look more like Nefertiti and less like a turkey

Ageing is a tricky process that creeps on us. Most of us start to notice fine lines and wrinkles around our eyes, tell-tale crow’s feet, then maybe a frown line or two in between our eyes, all of which signals that our faces are starting to age. You may look at your hands, often regarded as the best way to really know someone’s age, but do you ever look at your neck?

Our necks are hard-working parts of our bodies. They must hold up our head for starters. We stretch them in different directions all day long and they’re at the forefront of most of the sun exposure that we get during a lifetime, often not having all the UV sunscreen protection that would be recommended.

This means that over time, the skin on our neck become less smooth, loses volume and suffers from photo-damage in terms of changes to texture, tone and pigmentation. As this happens, the strong muscular bands that do all the work of keeping our heads up, known as platysmal bands, start to show through the thinning skin layers, giving the characteristic ‘turkey neck’ appearance.

When it comes to ideals of beauty, especially beautiful necks, you can’t help but be in awe of the bust of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. Granted, we have no actual ‘selfies’ of the beautiful lady to prove that the artwork done in her name was a genuine representation, but still, it shows what a beautiful, elongated, smooth neck can do for a woman and why Nefertiti was regarded as such a ‘goddess’. Given the choice of a turkey neck or having a Nefertiti lift, I think we know what everyone would choose.

Good news then, at my clinic in Stevenage, Hertfordshire we can reduce the appearance of platysmal bands, restoring a more youthful appearance to the neck, without impacting on function or neck movement, using botulinum toxin injections.

I use the Azzalure™ brand of botulinum toxin, you may also have heard of Botox®. They are both botulinum toxin type A and are also prescription only medicines which must be prescribed for you after a face-to-face consultation with me, Dr Harry Singh. I am a dentist and aesthetic practitioner, who has been performing and prescribing botulinum toxin treatments for cosmetic use for over fifteen years. This is an advanced technique for the use of Azzalure, and thus needs to be performed by a qualified and experience medical practitioner.

During a consultation, I will ask you to clench your teeth together in an exaggerated smile which allows me to see your neck muscles in full action, as well as how prominent your platysmal bands are at rest, when you are doing nothing. This will allow me to determine if this treatment will be of benefit to you. I will also take a detailed medical history to make sure that you are suitable. Depending on the severity of the lax skin, wrinkles or volume loss in your neck, I may also discuss other aesthetic treatments which can be combined for a more complete solution.

If we go ahead with botulinum toxin treatment it will be injected in very small doses into specific points along the neck muscles. The toxin will take about a week to work and will weaken the muscles ever so slightly, so they become less prominent and improve the appearance of your neck. It’s not a permanent solution, as the botulinum toxin does wear off over time, so you will require repeat treatments every 4 to 6 months to maintain the result.

Please arrange a consultation appointment with me, Dr. Harry Singh at Aesthetics in Stevenage, Hertfordshire if you are bothered by the appearance of your neck and we can discuss if Azzalure botulinum toxin injections are suitable for you. Please call us on 01438 300111.

Dr Harry Singh explains how botulinum toxin injections, using Azzalure™ can be used to treat bruxism, teeth clenching and reduce the appearance of a square jaw.

Our jaw is a pretty clever thing, we move it up and down regularly throughout the day as we talk, chew, bite and yawn. It also plays an important role in creating a pleasing and attractive shape to the human face. A wide jaw, which can create a square-shaped-look to the lower face, is quite a common occurrence, and although desirable in men as a sign of strength and masculine beauty, it is not considered as attractive in a female.

The appearance of a square-like jaw, is caused by prominent masseter or chewing muscles. If you place your hands at the end of your jaw bone, just below your ears and then clench your teeth together you will feel the masseter muscles as they harden under your fingertips.

In the case of a square jaw, the masseter tend to be excessively active muscles, which means that they have become somewhat ‘pumped up’ through additional exercise, usually as a result of teeth grinding or clenching. The medical name for teeth grinding is bruxism, and it is an incredibly common condition whereby you move your jaw, usually whilst sleeping, and grind the surfaces of your teeth together. This has an effect on both wearing down the surface of your teeth, usually corrected through the wearing of a dental shield at night, but also it exercises your masseter muscles making them more bulky and strong, leading to the square jaw appearance. Thankfully though we now have a solution to both – botulinum toxin injections.

I have been using Azzalure™ botulinum toxin, which is a prescription only medicine brand just like Botox®, at my clinic in Stevenage, Hertfordshire for well over fifteen years. Although these products are most commonly used as anti-wrinkle injections for reducing crow’s feet and frown lines, botulinum toxin also has many medical and practical applications where over-active muscles or muscle spasms are causing a problem. In this case, we would use it to treat the masseter muscle to reduce its activity to more manageable levels.

As a dentist, I am very familiar with the anatomy of the jaw and have encountered many hundreds of patients over the years who regularly grind their teeth in their sleep, so I can advise you during a face-to-face consultation if prescribing botulinum toxin to treat your masseter muscles will both reduce the dental implications of your bruxism, as well as improve the square-like appearance of your jawline, if this is of concern.

Treating the masseter muscles with Azzalure is an advanced technique, so it is important that you see someone with experience, training and understanding of the appropriate dosing required and the effect on the anatomical structures. Seeing an advanced practitioner, like myself, means that you will reduce your risk from over treatment which could weaken the muscles too much and impact on the movement of your jaw and your ability to bite or chew properly, or even open and close your mouth.

Treatment for a square jaw and bruxism with botulinum toxin is not a permanent solution but will last for approximately 4 to 6 months. You will require regular, repeat treatments to maintain the correction but you should notice a reduction in the dosing required to maintain the muscle activity at a level which helps you to stop grinding your teeth and brings your face back into a more attractive shape.

Why not arrange a consultation appointment with me, Dr Harry Singh at Aesthetics in Stevenage, Hertfordshire and we can discuss if you have over-active masseter muscles which could benefit from Azzalure injections; please call us on 01438 300111.

Dr Harry Singh explains why botulinum toxin injections, using Azzalure™ could be the right solution for you if you have smoker’s lines around your mouth.

Do you, or have you ever smoked? If the answer is yes, then you’re probably expecting a lecture about how bad smoking is for your lung health, but that’s not what I want to talk about; I want to talk about smoker’s lines.

Smoking is actually pretty bad for your skin too, and is a significant contributing factor to the premature ageing of your skin, alongside sun exposure. The effects of smoking start to show after about a decade of the habit, speeding up normal ageing and leading to the early appearance of wrinkles. This is because the nicotine in the cigarettes causes a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply the surface layers of your skin. This reduction in blood flow means that the skin cells don’t get as much oxygen or vital nutrients needed to support them and keep them healthy. It’s also been shown that many of the other chemicals present in tobacco smoke damage the collagen and elastin found in your skin; these are your skin’s support structures, so when they get damaged skin starts to sag and wrinkle.

Finally, I know, it’s starting to sound like a lecture isn’t it; the physical act of smoking, and the facial expressions made can also lead to the production of certain dynamic wrinkles. As you suck on and inhale from a cigarette, much like a straw, you purse your lips, leading to the formation of straight-line wrinkles in the area which surrounds the top and bottom lips, usually worse above the top lip, under the nose. After many years of smoking, these lines don’t just appear when you smoke, but are present when your face is at rest and you are not moving your mouth. It is these lines which are referred to as characteristic smoker’s lines. Similarly, you may also squint your eyes to avoid the smoke as you inhale and this adds to the formation of crow’s feet and frown lines.

All in, being a smoker will lead to you looking old before your time.

Now, of course I would advise you to quit the habit and your NHS GP can help you with solutions to achieve that, but what I can offer is a solution to the premature ageing and wrinkles associated with smoking.

During a face-to-face consultation with me, Dr Harry Singh, at my clinic in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, I can assess your medical and smoking history, current health and the presence of smoker’s lines. If botulinum toxin injections are the right solution for you, I can prescribe them as a cosmetic treatment. I use a brand called Azzalure™; Botox® is another brand that you may have heard of too. This prescription medicine can be used as an anti-wrinkle treatment for crow’s feet, frown lines, forehead lines, bunny lines around the nose, and smoker’s lines around the mouth. Treating these lines is an advanced technique, so it’s important that it is performed by someone with advanced training and experience. As a dentist, I understand the anatomy of the mouth area and have been performing cosmetic injections for over 15 years.

Azzalure acts by reducing the strength of certain muscles, in this case the large muscle that circles the lips, so that the production of the dynamic lines associated with smoking is reduced, and the overlying skin does not form the lines so readily, allowing it to recover and the wrinkles to reduce in appearance. Because this is a very important muscle for other actions such as speaking, smiling, drinking, chewing and kissing, we use very small doses of the botulinum toxin to reduce the smoker’s lines without affecting anything else. Treatment is not a permanent solution, lasting 4 to 6 months, but with regular injections we can prolong the recovery of the skin in the area and the lines will continue to fade.

If you are concerned about smoker’s lines and want to discuss whether Azzalure injections could be suitable for you, please arrange a consultation appointment with me, Dr. Harry Singh at Aesthetics in Stevenage, Hertfordshire by calling 01438 300111.

Dr Harry Singh explains why botulinum toxin injections, using Azzalure™ could be the right solution for you when you smile and show too much gum.

A smile is a beautiful thing. It signals an emotional response of joy and happiest, or amusement to those around us. A smile is commonly said to ‘light up someone’s face’. But sadly, some people don’t like their smile, and this isn’t always because they don’t like their teeth. Some people feel that when they smile they show too much of their gums, usually above their top teeth, or that their gums looks too prominent compared to their teeth – this is referred to as a ‘gummy smile’ or an ‘excessive gingival display’ if you want to be technical.

Having a gummy smile can make a person feel self-conscious and less willing to smile, especially in social situations or in photographs, so the beautiful expression of their emotions is stifled. If this is your concern, then keep reading and learn how we can effectively treat this.

When it comes to remedies for a gummy smile, the traditional route, available to dentists and their patients was fairly invasive and involved a procedure called a ‘gingivectomy’. Basically, this is oral surgery to reduce the look of a gummy smile by removing gum tissue. All in this is costly for the patient, painful and requires time to recover and is a radical approach to what is in the main a cosmetic problem. (Gingivectomy is appropriate for some medical and dental conditions however).

Thankfully, we now have botulinum toxin products, and at my clinic in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, we use a brand called Azzalure. Most people are familiar with the use of Botox or botulinum toxin as a cosmetic solution for wrinkles such as frown lines and crow’s feet, but these anti-wrinkle injections can also be used in all sorts of places, and for various medical problems where muscle spasms are causing a variety of conditions.

Using Azzalure as a solution for reducing a gummy smile can be prescribed for you after a face-to-face consultation and discussion with me, Dr. Harry Singh. I will ask you to smile and will review your concerns about how much gum is on show. As a dentist I will be able to assess if this option is right for you and we can discuss whether other dental concerns are also affecting your smile and whether these require addressing, to create a treatment programme that will give you an effective solution.

The botulinum toxin injections would be used to reduce the strength of certain muscles around your mouth to depress your lips when you smile, in other words, we weaken the muscles a little so that your lips do not rise as high above your teeth when you smile. This is achieved by injections of very small doses of the Azzalure into four specific points. It’s important that you go to an advanced practitioner for treatment like this as they must understand the anatomy of the muscles around the mouth, and the dose of botulinum toxin required to correct the gummy smile but not impact on the general movement of the mouth or your ability to smile, chew, talk, drink, kiss etc.

Treatment for a gummy smile with botulinum toxin is not a permanent solution but will last for approximately 4 to 6 months and will require regular, repeat treatments to maintain your ‘new smile’.

So, if you’re self-conscious in your selfies due to a gummy smile please arrange a consultation appointment with me, Dr. Harry Singh at Aesthetics in Stevenage, Hertfordshire and we can discuss if Azzalure injections are the right solution for you. Please call us on 01438 300111.

Dr. Harry Singh explains how axillary hyperhidrosis or excessive underarm sweating can be controlled with Botox

If you are troubled by extra or excessive underarm sweating, all year round, then you may have a condition called hyperhidrosis. This is the medical name used to describe a situation whereby someone sweats more than their body really needs to, to regulate heat, and this is most noticeable in the underarms or axilla. Some people also suffer from chronic sweating of their brow, feet and even sweaty palms on their hands. All sorts of treatments are available for the different types of hyperhidrosis, but at his clinic in Hertfordshire, Dr. Singh specialises in consulting with patients who think that they might have a problem with axillary hyperhidrosis – excessive underarm sweating.

Of course, there are different levels of axillary hyperhidrosis, and it affects different people in differing ways. For some, they just don’t like to sweat too much, hate the feeling of underarm wetness, the stains it leaves on their clothes, and this becomes more of a cosmetic concern. For others, this is a socially limiting condition which has a significant affect on their daily working and social lives, with constant use of deodorants, regular changes of clothing and anxiety in social situations where their sweating may become apparent through body odour or sweat marks on clothing.

But there is a solution for both types of people, and this is something that you can discuss with Dr. Singh during a face-to-face consultation with him in clinic. He can treat excessive underarm sweating with botulinum toxin or Botox® injections.

If you are diagnosed as being hyperhidrotic then botulinum toxin can be used to block the signals from the nerves in the armpit to the sweat glands, called eccrine glands. This means that by stopping this communication for between 3 and 9 months, depending on the individual, we can prevent the eccrine glands from producing sweat. During this period there will be reduced wetness and almost no need for anti-perspirants. Over time the effect of the botulinum toxin does where off, this is not a permanent cure, so repeat injections are needed to maintain the relief from excessive sweating.

Hyperhidrosis can affect both men and women in equal measure; it is estimated to affect around 3% of the worldwide population, often starting after puberty or in adolescence. During your consultation you will be able to discuss just how much it effects your life and whether botulinum toxin injections are the right solution for you.

During your assessment and eventual treatment, Dr Singh will review how profusely you sweat, and exactly where the sweating is more acutely located. This will become the target area for the delivery of the tiny injections of small doses of toxin to the sweat glands. It takes from 48 hours to about a week to start to work and reduce the production of sweat to a more comfortable level. Some people stop sweating completely. The length of time that it lasts will vary but you should expect to return for repeat treatments a couple of times a year.

It can be a truly life saving option for many people, giving them back freedom to wear the clothes they want, reduce their reliance on multiple deodorants or specialised antiperspirant products and enjoy social interactions without the fear of sweating.

If you want to discuss excessive sweating and how it affects you, then please call 01438 300111 to book and appointment to see Dr. Harry Singh at Aesthetics in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

Dr. Harry Singh explains how cosmetic injectables can be used to treat nasolabial folds.

Firstly, I know what you’re going to say…what is a nasolabial fold?

It’s certainly a mouthful of a word, but what it refers to is very simple, and most of us get them, especially as we age. Nasolabial folds or nose-to-mouth lines refer to the depressions or grooves that run from the lower corners of the nose, the medical term for which is ‘naso’, down to the corners of the lips, the ‘labia’; hence nasolabial or nose-to-mouth lines.

As simple as they are to define, they are also simple to address by plumping up the area, reducing the mild dip, moderate crease or deep depression, creating a more youthful look with the use of injectable dermal fillers.

Both men and women start to see the appearance of nasolabial lines as they age. This occurs as we lose volume in the cheeks and upper face, which causes sagging in the area and the dropping of the fold of the cheek into the nose area. Dermal fillers can be used very effectively on male and female faces to add back volume and structure to the ageing face in the cheek and nasolabial region.

I use hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler products at my clinic in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Hyaluronic acid, or HA for short, is a natural component of our skin that our body makes daily. It draws in water to our skin and helps it stay plump and hydrated, which is more youthful-looking. Our bodies need to produce lots of HA each day because natural HA doesn’t last very long before we metabolise it. Sadly, as we age, we produce less and less natural HA daily; this is why children have such plump faces compared to adults. Scientists have, in the last 3 decades, discovered ways to manufacture synthetic, longer-lasting HA from non-animal sources, which is perfectly safe to use in humans. I use the Restylane product range which has been clinically-proven since the early 1990s for cosmetic use and has one of the longest records for safety and efficacy of any dermal filler brands. Restylane is non-animal-based and comes in different formulations or ‘thicknesses’ for use in different areas of the face for maximum benefit. It also comes with built in local anaesthetic, by the addition of lidocaine into the product syringe. This means that the area is numbed as it is treated to make it much more comfortable. All the products are temporary, but you can expect the results to last between 6 and 12 months, depending on the severity of your nasolabial lines and which specific product we use to treat them. How deep the folds are, and the amount of volume loss, with also determine the optimum amount of Restylane syringes I will require to give you the result you are looking for. Your body will still metabolise the HA over time but will do so a lot slower than it does with its natural HA, hence the long-lasting results. You can maintain the correction with repeat treatments at Aesthetics clinic and I will call you back for regular appointments to see how things are looking.

If you want to discuss if dermal fillers are the right treatment for you, then please call 01438 300111 to book and appointment to see Dr. Harry Singh at Aesthetics in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

Dr Harry Singh explains why botulinum toxin injections, using Azzalure™ could be the right solution for your nose wrinkles.

Bunny lines may look good on Bugs Bunny, but many people wish they could get rid of theirs. Well, the good news is you can with wrinkle relaxing injections.

Firstly, let’s clarify what we’re talking about here – what are ‘bunny lines’?

Bunny lines are part of the family of wrinkles referred to as ‘dynamic lines’, the ones which are created in your skin from repeated movement, usually on expression and during common facial movements involved in speaking, smiling, eating etc. Dynamic wrinkles which can be treated with wrinkle relaxing injections include frown lines and crow’s feet, as well as bunny lines. Some people scrunch up their nose during some expressions and this creates the ‘bunny lines’ across the bridge and sides of the nose, in a fan formation. Over time, these fine lines will start to remain in the skin, even when there is no underlying facial movement.

As you age, and the more you express yourself and use your facial muscles, the more the overlying skin gets repeatedly wrinkled and creased as you do so. Therefore, lines eventually become somewhat ingrained in the skin and are visible even when you stop making the expression. But, we have the answer to bunny lines at my clinic in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

The solution is anti-wrinkle or wrinkle relaxing injections, which can be prescribed for you after a face-to-face consultation and discussion with me, Dr. Harry Singh. I will ask you to move your face, by making certain expressions, paying particular attention to the areas that you are concerned about, such as if you think you have bunny lines. I will review your skin quality and take a detailed medical history to make sure that you are suitable for treatment. Other options, such as dermal fillers, can also be used to help with wrinkles or lost volume to plump out your skin, so we can discuss the best option and treatment programme for you.

Wrinkle relaxing injections refer to a medicine or drug called botulinum toxin type A. This is available as several different brand names including Botox® and Azzalure™. I prefer to use Azzalure in my clinic.

Azzalure works by reducing the strength of certain facial muscles for a short period of time, approximately 4 to 6 months. The botulinum toxin is injected in very small doses into specific points on the sides of your nose to target the bunny lines. You won’t get an instant result as it takes about a week to get to work. In the days after the injections, the botulinum toxin starts to stop the communication channels between your nerves and the muscles in the nose area where we have treated, so that movement can be restricted. Once the botulinum toxin has reduced the muscle movement, but not so much that you can’t make any expression or look unnatural, the overlying skin will start to become less wrinkled. Over time you’ll start to notice a real improvement in your skin quality if you maintain regular repeat treatments every 4 to 6 months.

So, if you’re bothered by bunny lines please arrange a consultation appointment with me, Dr. Harry Singh at Aesthetics in Stevenage, Hertfordshire and we can discuss if Azzalure botulinum toxin anti-wrinkle injections are the solution for you. Please call us on 01438 300111.

Dr Harry Singh explains why botulinum toxin injections, using Azzalure™ could be the right solution for your facial wrinkles.

I hate to break it to you, but it happens to us all. What am I talking about?

Ageing.

Sadly, just as certain as death and taxes, we humans, both male and female, all age, and with it brings fine lines and wrinkles. They first start to appear in our early thirties, sometimes earlier, becoming more prominent in our forties and fifties.

Lines you might start to notice first include crow’s feet at the edges of your eyes, most noticeable when you smile and scrunch your lower face upwards; but as you age, they are often still there when you stop smiling!

Other common lines to appear in the top third of your face are frown lines and forehead lines. Frown lines are created from those angry faces you might pull at your children or work colleagues, or the driver who cuts you up in traffic, or maybe when you are concentrating hard; whilst forehead lines are the ones you create when you are surprised or shocked and raise your eyebrows. Some people also scrunch their nose up during some expressions and this creates what we call ‘bunny lines’ across the bridge and sides of the nose.

All these lines have one thing in common, they are what are referred to as ‘dynamic lines’ and are created in your skin from repeated movement of the underlying facial muscles. The more you express yourself and use your facial muscles, the more the overlying skin gets wrinkled and creased as you do so, and eventually those wrinkles become small grooves which stay there, even when you stop making the expression.

But, let’s not get depressed about it, because at my clinic in Stevenage, Hertfordshire we have a solution.

The solution to treating lines and wrinkles and improving your youthful appearance is anti-wrinkle injections. These use a product called botulinum toxin which is available as several different brand names including Botox® and Azzalure™. Both are prescription only medicines and must be prescribed for you after a face-to-face consultation and discussion with me, Dr. Harry Singh. I prefer to use Azzalure in my clinic and during a consultation I will ask you to move your facial muscles, review your skin and take a detailed medical history to make sure that you are suitable for treatment.

So, how does this anti-wrinkle product work? Well, the short answer is that is puts certain facial muscles to sleep for a few months.

The botulinum toxin is injected in very small doses into specific points around your eyes, if your crow’s feet are being treated, your forehead, between your eyebrows for frown lines, or the sides of your nose for bunny lines. Azzalure takes about a week to get to work and during that time it stops the communication between your nerves and the muscles in the area we have treated, where we want movement to be restricted. The dose of botulinum toxin is the important part as we want just enough to reduce the movement in your facial muscles, so that the overlying skin doesn’t wrinkle as much as it did before, but not so you look frozen or expressionless. A natural, refreshed look is the aim with all my treatments, leaving your skin to recover and soften those lines away, without you looking odd and scaring the kids, neighbours or cat! Once the botulinum toxin has reduced the muscle movement, the overlying skin will start to become less wrinkled and over time, and with repeat treatments every 4 to 6 months, you’ll start to notice a real improvement in your skin quality.

So, if you’re bothered by the ageing effects of your crow’s feet, frown lines, bunny lines or forehead wrinkles then please arrange a consultation appointment with me, Dr. Harry Singh at Aesthetics in Stevenage, Hertfordshire and we can discuss if Azzalure botulinum toxin anti-wrinkle injections are the solution for you. Please call us on 01438 300111.